I will be home for Christmas
by mercscilla
Summary: They have their little rituals whenever he's about to go through the Gate but today is Christmas Eve and so their ritual ends a bit different than usual. Season 2-ish


**Title:** I will be home for Christmas  
**Rating:** PG-13/K+  
**Word Count:** 1225  
**Genre:** Romance/Fluff/tiny bit of Angst  
**Summary:** They have their little rituals whenever he's about to go through the Gate but today is Christmas Eve and so their ritual ends a bit different than usual. (Season 2-ish)  
**Author's Note:** I haven't written anything in over threetwo years. O_o If this sounds a bit OC, please, don't get twitchy eyes. Done for the 8th December 2009 - the Sparky LJ Calendar. :D  
**Disclaimer:** I own neither the show nor the characters. I don't earn any money with this piece. I just do it for fun.

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"_And before you know it, I will be home for Christmas, too...with a little ZPM for you..._"

"I'm not so sure the song goes like that, Colonel." John grins and even though her head is bend over her desk and she is writing furiously, he sees the little smile tugging at her lips, letting John see the _woman_ behind their leader.

Picking up where he left off, he starts humming again and rests against the doorframe, watching Elizabeth as she makes a pointed note with her pen, finishes the day's reports and shuffles them in a folder to her right.

Paperwork is still mostly _paper_work - even in one of the most advanced cities in the universe. And it doesn't stop on Christmas Eve either.

Setting aside her work for at least the moment, Elizabeth leans back in her chair and rubs her face. Tired eyes blink once, twice, getting used to the normal view after hours of staring at and trying to decipher the chicken scratch of most of the personnal of Atlantis. Sometimes she hates that Earth forgets that there are _humans_ in Atlantis, not robots. Humans who want to celebrate the same holidays as they had done on Earth.

John grin softens. "I am hurt, deeply hurt, Elizabeth. You don't like my version?" This banter is familiar. He likes to call it their _Little Bubble_ before the mission becomes reality. But never to her face. Elizabeth Weir doesn't do bubbles.

A half-hearted glare is shot in his direction as if Elizabeth knows what he's thinking and the grin turns into a full-fledged smirk. Narrowing her eyes at him she slowly gets up and moves around her desk, stepping closer to John who puts up his best kicked-puppy expression.

"Oh, I do like it." She says and raises a hand to his shoulder, dusting off invisible specks. Another part that is familiar. _Touch-to-Go_ they both call it in their minds. If they cannot do anything else, this they can. Nothing wrong with the leader making sure the commanding office makes a good first impression. On both, allies and enemies.

She straightens his vest and flashes him a small smirk of her own. "But, do you know that you're missing a line?" John raises an eyebrow and makes himself comfortable against the doorframe.

"Pray tell."

"You're missing out the other thing that should come back as well."

Elizabeth can actually _see_ John's transformation from adult to 5-year old in a space of seconds. Quite astonishing, she admits, though she is no longer surprised. More than a year near him and she is used to so many of his quirks.

"You mean a real Christmas Tree?" Yes, definitely used to it.

Half coughing, half laughing, Elizabeth pats his arm and tells him the sad news. "There are no pine trees on PG-493."

John's face falls and he actually slouches. It doesn't even look weird to her anymore. Oh, yes, _so_ used to it.

"I meant something more important. Namely you, John." And there is her special smile, part sadness, part hope and part something he is not ready to name. Yet.

Catching her hand that is still on his arm, he gives it a gentle squeeze and leans forward, turning them both away from curious glances and geeky gossip. Elizabeth's eyes lock onto his, secrets for once no longer veiled.

His voice is low and husky, eyes endless pools of darkness, his posture strong and comforting. "You know me, Elizabeth." He draws her even closer. "You know why I am always careful. Why I am _always_ coming back."

Maybe it is the season of love and shared happiness, maybe it is the fear of him not coming back tomorrow of all days, maybe it is something else that could explain what happens next.

Their lips barely brush, a kiss, gentle, like a breeze from the ocean that surrounds them, a stray of light touching shadows.

And then it is anything but chaste. It is like standing in the sun of this foreign planet, blazing heat, flames licking at their souls and at the same time it is cold as the snow back on Earth, white, blinding them until all they do is just _feel_.

Neither of them can say later how long they stood in the doorway to her office, not really embracing and yet closer than ever before. What they do know is that, as they slowly part, still no more than an inch apart, this year's Christmas miracle has already happened for them.

A rather loud and fake cough from the control room startles them out of their little world and Elizabeth blushes the prettiest rose-ish he has ever seen while his smile is just as handsome.

"No regrest?", he mouthes and she shakes her head. "None." It is that easy. For once it is.

John clears his throat, still looking at Elizabeth, and declares loudly for everyone to hear: "Mistletoe."

She grins up at him, nods and repeats his statement. "Mistletoe."

A rather grumpy and snarky voice from the control room mutters something about "Yeah, right..." and "Who do they think they're fooling?" but they ignore it.

"Come back?" The _to me_ remains unspoken but he hears it nonetheless. "I will." The _always_ resonates and she feels it, all the way down to her soul.

She removes her hand from under his and they are back to officer and doctor. They turn to leave the doorway, standing a little closer to eachother than before, cross the bridge and before anyone can say something, it is Rodney who demands to know when he's going to get his good-luck kiss.

He is, afterall, a genius and pretty much the most important person on Atlantis.

John rolls his eyes while Elizabeth laughs silently as she steps up to Rodney and kisses him on the cheek. It is more of a thank-you than good-luck, and all three of them know it.

A hand reaches past her, grabs Rodney by his shoulder and drags him to the left. "C'mon, McKay, before every member of my team wants a good-luck kiss."

Elizabeth, a smile grazing her lips, glances up at John and he tips his head slightly.

"I will bring back the ZPM, Doctor. Don't worry." His famous flyboy smirk is back. "We will have a sparky Christmas."

Stepping past her, a protesting Rodney in tow ("A ZPM cannot sparky!"), his hand brushes lightly hers. A barely there grazing of fingers but to Elizabeth it is a promise.

The team moves down the stairs, Chuck dials the Stargate and just before they disappear through the event horizon John turn his head in her direction and smiles.

Elizabeth knows it's not professional but she doesn't care and it is _Christmas Eve_, so she let's an answering smile slide across her lips and for the next hours the same smile appears whenever she looks at the Stargate.

And even later, when the team steps back through the shimmering surface, that smile turns into heartful laughter because John actually managed to find this galaxy's version of a pine tree that is decorated with dry fruits and hand-made ornaments.

Their first real Christmas in Atlantis with an alien Christmas Tree and a ZPM as a gift, neither John nor Elizabeth think that something's missing.

They have eachother.

That is all that matters.

- END -


End file.
